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..."this is my rifle; this is my gun; this is for etc...."
And you guys have such a fine maritime school at Memorial.........shame on you
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..."this is my rifle; this is my gun; this is for etc...."
And you guys have such a fine maritime school at Memorial.........shame on you
There's actually a ferry between St. John's and Digby NS which makes the round trip more like 800 miles. And I hear the Airline was repaved in the last few years (if you know what the Airline is, you'll know what I'm talking about)..... But I am sad to see the CAT go. I think it will be a BIG loss to NS more than Maine.
I know that this digresses a tad but here on the mainland we have various other related programs but not as highly evolved as the Memorial one. However, if you are ever in Halifax be sure and take in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. ..... now, if only all those boats would move aside I could get this tub...uh....I mean ship, out of the harbor (aka harbour).
Now back to the topic: todays news clearly states that both Nova Scotia and Maine remain committed to not contributing to that fast moving hole in the ocean. I think that some interesting and more economically viable alternatives will emerge. It is also likely that our Transport Canada will become a stronger partner in the arrangement if a clear commercial link can be made that is not entirely tourism based in its vision. - Bob
BC Ferries faced a similar problem about a 10-years ago. To my knowledge, they eventually sold the high speed vessels for conventional ferries. Seems, we always have to repeat history, especially when the glamor and speed factors are used in the marketing campaign.
The CAT goes elsewhere in the winter......
You put your toys away at the end of summer.
While a regional / touring thread, this subject interests me on a technical level. While, in the past, a lot of us have been drawn to BMW motorcycles for their reliability, the brand was often criticized for in it's modest power levels. Today, BMW seems to be doing pretty well in the horsepower races, but I wonder if something has been lost. The older bikes seem to be like the old ferries, they got the job done without a lot of flash. The new bikes seem to be here for a few years, then change to some new variant. They seem to be a bit like the CAT..........flashy, but costly.
Just my opinion.
maybe it's an age thing ........ but I really do know what you mean Go with the rolls rather than skipping over the surface I suppose. - Bob
No, it's not an age thing. I was just taking a tangent and drawing parallels between some of the new BMW bikes and the CAT. IMHO, these vehicles/vessels are developed for a niche market and might soon be forgotten.
BTW - what is your tub?
Dang it! My wife and I caught a ride on the CAT from Yarmouth to Bar Harbor just a couple of weeks after it started operation several years back, and it was packed. I was looking forward to doing it again someday.
Nova Scotia hopes to keep Maine ferry
Service by The Cat isn't worth subsidizing but a traditional ferry might be, says Premier Darell Dexter.
By TOM BELL, Staff Writer
December 24, 2009
PORTLAND ÔÇö Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter may be willing to subsidize ferry service between Maine and Nova Scotia, but he won't give any more money to The Cat, Dexter's press secretary said Wednesday.
A federally funded study on southwest Nova Scotia's transportation options, including ferry service, is scheduled to be completed in March. Dexter will ask the Canadian government to put the study on the fast track so it can be delivered to him in January, press secretary Jennifer Stewart said in a telephone interview.
"We are looking at the best option for replacing The Cat ferry service, and that is going to come from the study," she said.
Since 2005, the province has invested $21 million in ferry service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor and Portland. Stewart said The Cat is not a sustainable service and is not a good investment.
Last week, Bay Ferries Ltd. announced that the loss of the subsidy had forced it to end the service. Last year, it received $5.65 million from the government to help it offset higher fuel prices and lower passenger numbers.
The Cat is a high-speed catamaran. Yarmouth officials and business leaders believe that a traditional, single-hull ferry has a better chance for success because it would be more fuel-efficient and have more room to carry trucks. The Cat does not carry trucks. A delegation of officials and business leaders met with Dexter on Wednesday morning. The delegation urged the premier to fund The Cat for one more summer to give it time to recruit another vessel.
Julie Walters, a tourism development officer in Yarmouth who attended the meeting, said that Dexter's plan is not helpful because it won't leave enough time to find another vessel.
She said The Cat must operate next summer to keep the U.S. market engaged in Nova Scotia, and to sustain service businesses in Yarmouth. For example, two hotels have said they will have to close if there is no ferry service to Yarmouth.
"We need a new vessel. There is not time to find a new vessel between now and May 15. We need to keep this link alive," she said. "This is not good news, and it really is not acceptable news."
She said Yarmouth officials are gathering support from around the province and will continue putting pressure on Dexter to reconsider.
Staff Writer Tom Bell can be contacted at 791-6369 or at:
tbell@pressherald.com
Copyright 2009 by The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. All rights reserved.